AirCars

                                                                                                                        

HISTORY

Since 1876 there has been public transportation on compressed air, first in Paris, then in many French cities, but also in
Switzerland (Bern) and as a test in England (Chester, London) and the USA (New York, Cincinnati). During the first tests
starting 1820, the supply of compressed air came through a pipe installed along the rails. This was very unpractical, reason
why soon was decided to use an onboard stock of air, heated on the way by a "bouillotte". The trams shown in the pictures
are of the "Mékarsky" type, in Paris .
They had a limited range and therefore needed a refill very often. Hereunder the "bouillotte" and a Mékarsky in a Paris flood
in 1910.

   

         

From 1879 the Mékarsky system has been applied on the tram network of the city of Nantes (France), that in 1900 had 94 compressed air trams running.
(photos hereunder). From 1917 they were replaced by electric trams. Bottom right: in a flood again..

   

      

Compressed air trams in those days were running in Aix-les-Bains, Saint Quentin, Vichy and La Rochelle.
More information on compressed air trams and trains here (trams) and here (trams and trains) and on Wikipedia here. 

Compressed air trains were used until the interbellum, some even till the sixties. They were particularly useful in tunnels and mines
thanks to the absence of sparks and fumes.

Photos hereunder, the oldest model from 1840 d'Andraud and Tessié du Molay and more info on trains here.

      

In the second half of the 19th century, "the horseless age", all means to power cars were tried out: gasoline, gas, steam, electricity and also compressed air.

Above: Pneumatic Carriage Company (London 1898)

Under: Lee Barton Williams air car 1926

Above, left: Roy Meyers, Los Angeles 1932

Left: Stanley F  20HP originally steam, later converted to compressed air by Hugh

Longbourne Callendar, science museum of Swindon 1906

  

Le Plongeur: first compressed air submarine
Rochefort 1863

Compressed air airplane: Augustus HERRING in the first
manned flight in 1899, four years before the Wright brothers.

British torpedos being filled with compressed air 1916.

The Beaumont-English tunnel boring machine on compressed air was used to bore the Channel tunnel between France and England in 1876. The work was abandoned in 1883 due to the economic crisis, after having finished almost 2 km from both sides.

From 1853 in London and later also in Paris, Berlin, Vienna and Prague, New York, Philadelphia and many other cities, telegrams, mail and packages were transported through subterranean tubes. Experiments with a cat, guinea pigs, a rooster, a bowl of goldfish and eventually also people soon followed. (image left)Large fans or compressors made the difference in air pressure in the pipes before and behind the carts. Later pneumatic mailsystems have been in use in offices, department stores, banks and even NASA. The units were propelled by compressed air.  In New York the network was 27 miles long and stayed in operation till 1953. Paris had 450 km of pipes, in use till 1984. Now similar systems are to be found in hospitals. Right: Compressed air tanks in Paris Post Office.

In 1812 George Redhurst in Londen had the idea to "blow" passenger wagons through tunnels. In 1864 in London, a passenger train ran for 3 months in Crystal Palace Park, sucked through a 550 meter long tunnel. From 1870 to 1873, under Broadway in New York, a short subway line ran on compressed air: the Beach pneumatic transit, inspired by London. (under and right) The wagon transported 22 persons. The tunnel was to be 8 km long but never got beyond 95 meters, which made it more of an attraction than a means of transport.. In its first year, 400,000 tickets were sold. A stock market crash put an end to funding.

The wagon was blown and sucked by huge fans. The entrance was situated in the basement of a large clothes store.

Children's compressed air vehicles from 1925 (left) and 1933 (right). The right hand car has a throttle, a handle for braking and one for reverse, and  two air cilinders under the chassis Watch the short video hereunder on the left.

Right: In 1897 threewheelers on compressed air were used for distributing mail in Chicago: two wheels in the front and one in the rear. They were able to do the work in 4 hours which the horses did in 8 hours. The threewheelers were made by inventor Hartley. They were silent and ran for 50 km a day with a maximum speed of 20 km/hour. This was announced by the New York Times, but it is uncertain whether all this has materialized. Compressed air driving Just like we can take along energy in a vehicle in the form of gasoline or diesel, we can also do this in the form of one or more tanks of compressed air. 150 years ago people started driving on compressed air. In the late 1800s, there were compressed air trams in Paris, Nantes etc, and up to the interbellum trains were running on compressed air in mines and tunnels. Driving green and selfsufficiently; is that possible? One fine morning of 2007 I was in my bathroom listening to the radio and I heard a report about cars that were running on compressed air. I was instantly interested because I like to live - a bit - ecologically and - a bit - independent from those large companies that have us in their grip, us and our environment. I drive on lpg, have solar panels on my roof, in short a non polluting car that I could charge in my garage using my own solar energy seems just what I need. Unfortunately my research on the internet only yielded outdated, incomplete or erroneous information, not to mention the hardly inexistence of anything in the Dutch language. My enthousiasm and perseverence, as much as my language knowledge should compensate for my lack of technological background. I have no financial nor commercial interest in this at all; this is my hobby. Four developers Luxemburg: MDI (Motor Development International): the best known air car guy is the late Guy Nègre. His small family business MDI is making the leap from development to production in its "model plant" in Carros (Nice, France). Their first model, the tiny city vehicle Airpod, has been promised for quite a few years now and is due to be launched in 2017. MDI's objective is to start up 400 identical microplants all over the globe, to produce and sell locally and on a small scale, to avoid thus the bulk of transport. India: Tata Motors: The automobile giant Tata has bought early 2007 the license to use the compressed air piston engine technology of MDI in its own Tata models, but only for India. Meanwhile, two Tata models have been converted to compressed air and we are awaiting Tata's announcement to the press. Australia: Engineair: Angelo Di Pietro has developed a rotary compressed air engine that is highly efficient, very lightweight and almost silent. It has been awarded a $ 100,000 prize in a greentech General Electric contest. He's looking for partners to incorporate his engine in existing vehicles. Uruguay: Regusciair: Armando Regusci works on motorcycles and cars with a remarkable engine with pistons attached to a chain with a spring. Some typical features of a compressed air car Just like you can take energy with you in the form of gasoline or diesel, you can also do this in the form of one or several tanks of compressed air, typically between 200 and 300 bar. That's comparable to the pressure of the tank in a compressed natural gas car (CNG) and 100 times more than the pressure in your tires. Lightweight: the first MDI model, the Airpod, weighs 280 kgs. The second, the Airone, 400 kgs. The chassis and the engine are made of aluminium, the body of polyester sandwich filled with polyurethane. The car has very few parts, no radiator, no cooling system, no spark plugs and no starter. The tank is made of carbon fiber. Cheap: prices vary according to the model from 4500 (AirOne), via 7000 (Airpod) to € 10.000 (AirCity) Safe: the tank cannot explode. In an extreme case it would tear. The polyester body is 4 times stronger than steel. Ecological: out of the tail pipe comes only cold and filtered air, that is recycled for the airco. Alternatives for the polyester of the body are being studied: hemp, linen, etc with natural resins. Low maintenance: 1 litre vegetal oil change every 50.000 kms. Simple technology, lowtech, few parts, the engine doesn't heat up. Proven: compressed air mobility started 150 years ago. Late 1800's, trams on compressed air were running in Paris, Nantes and many other cities. Up to the interbellum trains were running in mines and for making tunnels. Durable: the tank can stand more than 20.000 fill-ups and therefore lives on for more than 50 years in case of daily charging. Filling it up Air station: The tanks under the seats of the Airpod, MDI's first small vehicle, can contain 250 liters of compressed air at 248 bar. Either you fill them up at a stock of ready filled air tanks, in 2 or 3 minutes. These air stations have yet to be installed, for instance on the parking lots of big supermarket chains. The first drivers of gasoline cars had to buy their fuel by jerrycan at the drugstore. Electrical socket: Or you connect your car to the electrical socket in your garage. That way the engine of the car itself pumps the ambient air into its own tanks. This is done in 7 hours or 3h30 if you have a 32 Amp socket. Preferably with green energy of your own production. The compressed air does not necessarily have to be made by a compressor. It can also be done in a solely mechanical way by a windmill for instance. Compressed air is one of the options for storing renewable energy. The MDI models Airpod (€ 7000 ): This is the first model that - let's knock on wood - is expected in 2017. This tiny city car is shorter than a Smart, has no doors (step in through the windshield) and can be steered either by a joystick or a steering wheel. 2 passengers in the front and a 200 liters trunk in the back. Maximum speed is 80 km/h. The range is 120 to 150 km on air only (in the city) and 450 km by heating the air with a small burner (out of the city, with half a liter of gasoline/100 km: bi-energy). AirOne (€ 4500): Kind of very basic jeep for 3 to 5 persons. Speed: 100 km/h. Range: 200 km on air only, 600 on bi-energy. AirCity (€ 10.000): normal city car AirFamily: MPV car AirMultibus: articulated bus Airtranscontainer: truck Airstreet: tuktuk for the big cities of the emerging countries AirBom: garbage truck in collaboration with Veolia  vidéo Scepticism about compressed air cars On the internet much criticism can be found. A selection: The claims are said to be technically unrealistic and against the laws of thermodynamics. MDI has been promissing for many years that the start of production was "for next year" but there were always delays. Several partnerships have failed. There are no independent tests or proofs of the range. Production of compressed air is a very inefficient activity, as most of the energy input is lost in heat. Arguments in favor of MDI: They work with important partners like Tata Motors, Veolia, KLM, EPFL. The technology is proven. Compressed air vehicles have been around since halfway the 19th century. MDI is a small family business with a chronic lack of finances, hence its projects have often had delays. I have myself driven an Airpod for a short test: it has punch and is very manoeuvrable. Conclusion? “Those who say it cannot be done shouldn’t disturb those who are doing it”, dixit G.B.Shaw. I don't know, but I sure hope that I will be able to replace my aging lpg-car by a compressed air one. What do you think?